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TravelPrograms > InterviewQuestions
7:30 am Friday. Some of these are good questions to get started. But you'll need more! More detailed, specific, and varied questions. Revise the questions after Tuesday's class discussion. You're going to need to create user profiles, so ask some background information about how they use the web... Check Summers and Summers. More.
Possible Questions
* JJ-Itinerary information, Links to what is happening in the city, curreny information, page for those with previous experiences,
* KN-Links to what is playing in local theaters, Itinerary information, basic language ex. french to English, currency info.
* A.J. the different programs to different countries, information about the schools, the courses offered,
* Kate The cost of the program, where the program goes, who's in charge of the program, health concerns about the area. That sort of information. Past participation testimonials.
* JJ-contextual links, you can see what you need to discover further without having to stop reading.
* KN-contextual or drop down links, honestly as well as they are easy to use and access I don't mind any kind of link
* A.J. Don't know
* Kate mouse-overs
* JJ-yes, it's nice to be able to see things that will be on the trips
* KN-yes, they just add something to the page I'm looking at, it makes them so they're not so plain and boring
* A.J. yeah they're probably gonna look at pictures before they read the info.
* Kate Yes they would be. Very much so.
* JJ-yes, I wouldn't have halled my winter jacket all around the continent if I would have known the only place I was going to use it after England was in Lucerne
* KN-extremley, it would have been nice to know that the weather in England changes just as fast and just as often as it does here.
* A.J. Yeah, I'd recommend putting a currency converter on the site. That way students can compare what tuition might be and then the amount of room they might have for spending, how far the U.S. dollar will go in the country.
* Kate Yes, especially if they're going to a place that is a very different climate than say Northern Minnesota in the winter time. Good to know - clothing and all
* JJ-why of course, already stated above
* KN-yes, very. Others experiences would have given us information that you couldn't find in a book or on the web
* A.J. Yup, that's probably gonna be the second most important thing. Having students from that campus of that country or having BSU students who had been there would be good .
* Kate Yes.
* JJ-both, if I didn't know what was offered I couldn't just go look it up. Specific information would provide things like popular student hangouts or what a cider black is.
* KN-both
* A.J. I think that would depend on their level of interest in the programs. You would want to create a site that would hook somebody who might be interested, and also build the site for anybody who's seriously thinking.
* Kate I think for some people it's just to see what's offered. Kind of, they have an interest but they don't know what to do so they kind of go to look. That's what I think it is. And then once you're going on it it's nice to have a central place to go to get the information.
* A.J. When I went to Malaysia the information the university had on their web sites matched their availability. For example, I was able to get a really nice room in a condo for really cheap, cheaper than anything that you'd find here. But I got that through someone who worked in the residential life office there. That could be an option for some students. I would recommend finding housing even if it's temporary before you go. So, seriously, have contact information from somebody who's responsible for student housing at that university.
* Kate Where they were located, if they'll cost anything, food options in the area, kind of meal plan information - stuff about the community where you'll be staying. IF you're in a certain city information about the area - language information, weather
* JJ-I would have packed an unbrella. Plug-ins, Europe has different plug ins than the U.S. That Switzerland was the only place I would need my winter jacket that I was lugging around and it was only for like an hour.
* KN-the difference in plugins, what was going on in Oxford like the plays at the local theater etc. All of the little things that no one thought to let us know
* A.J. The campus that I went to was all English speaking so I was trapped in a kind of English bubble. I wish I would have had some kind of crash course in Malay. So, a crash language course would be really beneficial. Make sure there's some kind of course at the university, like have it pointed out on the website (of a course that will teach the language to somebody - like a non native speaker).
* Kate I knew a lot of information before I went, um, It's good to know, ya know like Malaria or something, that you're gonna get weird dreams from your Malaria medication. I knew that. We had malaria medication. No body got sick. I kinda knew what I need to know. You need to know more personal things, like your money - how to access your bank stuff in another country in case incase your ATM card or credit card doesn't work. You had to call for your credit cards before you went to say you'll be in a foreign country so they don't think someone stole your credit card. You have to call ahead of time or they get suspicious and they lock your card.
* JJ-Grand total of how much money you should have not just program costs. They tell you how many meals you are responsible for but not how much on average those meals are going to cost
* KN-activities and their costs, like concerts or the theaters
* A.J. Probably the location of the campus, what kind of facilities are at that school, what's there to do around town, the accessibility of travel, if you can easily get a taxi or a bus or train
* Kate cost
* JJ-what kind of things are in museums, their costs etc
* KN-what's in them, how long it takes to go through them, once again all the information that the program directors don't tell you because they haven't been students on the trips
* A. J. Yeah
* Kate Yes it would be.
* JJ-I went to Lamae's site and looked at what her site but it was bland and monotonous and read like stereo instructions.
* KN-I didn't, I went to the library and checked out books
* JJ-figured it out when we went into London. Venue sites for like concerts for the cities we went to
* KN-ticket master
* JJ-Ladies night, two for one, strippers, theater, pound night at certain bars
* KN-good food, good drink, live music, theater, knowing that Tolkien and CS Lewis hung out at a certain pub would have been nice, I would have been more likely to go to it, to see their names on the wall.
* JJ-laundry, shopping, bus information
* KN-shopping, food, entertainment, post office location, laundry
* JJ-I hadn't, but I wish someone would have let me know about laundry services or that there was a do it yourself spot, post office location and the cost of mailing things, to pack laundry detergent because if I would have known they just shaved a bar of soap to make detergent I would have brought more Woolite
* KN-Not at that time, It would have been nice to know how to find specific things like bus stops, transportation information
* A.J. I was a high school exchange student to Japan for a year. Then I was a student at Help University for a semester in Malaysia. In preparing, probably how the school system works because I know different schools have different kinds of administrative systems or grading systems. How to sign up for classes even is different. Just something that briefly mentions that or gives some contact info to the student would be really helpful.
* Kate I found it really helpful to know weight limits for the planes, for you're luggage, currency information about the country you're going to - what the monetary unit is to the U.S. dollar, where you were planning on staying, food choices in the area, things that you were gonna see. Primarily the weight limits was nice so you didn't have to leave anything behind. We had people over and under the limit, so as a group we kind of combined people's luggage. There was a two bag limit - so some people with one bag carried another person's third bag. We bonded. We spent 3 weeks together in a foreign country. Once a week we had a class together. A lot of us had the same classes.
* JJ-yes, but I didn't find the sites that were offered to be of help
* KN-yes, just basic travel information was nice to know. Sanjeve shared a lot of his travel experience with us so we knew what to expect at the airports, customs, etc.
* A.J. Yeah, um I think names like Lamay Ritchie, Sanjeev, Plukong, and the other professors that lead the J-term trip would be really good info to have and then also having some contacts from international students' office at various universities in different universities would be helpful.
* Kate Yes. it would be.
* JJ-yes, Woolite, things that dry quickly
* KN-yes, pack light was something we were told, but not something that was really explained. Like don't just pack a small amount but pack light-weight clothing, leave a lot of the stuff like hairdriers etc. at home
* A.J. A lot of sense probably be doing some shopping there anyway, if they go abroad. I quickly found out that my clothes didn't fit the climate at all like I thought it would so I had to do some emergency shopping for like shorts and stuff like that.
* JJ-I really didn't know where to look
* KN- the library
* A.J. I know for a lot of students they would like to go abroad. It sounds exiting and different, but the major turnoff is the costs of going. A lot of students don't realize you can fit your financial aid package. You can work with financial aid to have it pay for the vast majority of your year there. Financial aid will actually raise your amount that you get and that there are some countries that it's actually cheaper to study there than it is here. Whether or not you want to go on a program through BSU or find a university independently it's very possible to go. Like, for example, I recommend south east Asia, like Thailand, Malaysia, maybe Indonesia, I'm not sure. The cost of living there it's sooo much cheaper. Europe on the other hand, It's very expensive. South America might not be as expensive as people think. Eastern Europe maybe? I don't know...nobody's really looked into Universities in Eastern Europe. They have to realize that the costs, like how far the U.S. dollar will go in that country can work toward, you know, it can benefit you.
* Kate I check the internet to see what they're doing. Every now and then someone'll give a spiel about something.
* JJ-not really that important, but for friends of mine who have disabilities it would have been really nice because a lot of places overseas aren't handicapped accessible
* KN-not really for me, but for others it would be nice
* A.J. Mental - A large part of going abroad, there is other factors that a student has to deal with. It's not totally academic. You're adjusting to a lot, to a lot! Adjust to the culture, language, food, different time zone, different climate. You know there's a lot of mental pressure. I think that's what some students might not understand before they go. You adjust to a lot of these things over time but a lot of students this idea that it's ah gonna be a picture perfect vacation but it's actually very hard work. So, some one who has some kind of mental handicap, it might not be for them.
* A.J Physical - But as far as somebody who has a physical condition, I think those questions would be best answered by somebody at that university. Lets say, for example, at the international student office there. When I was in Malaysia the city itself wasn't very pedestrian friendly. So maybe someone in a wheelchair, it might not be suitable for then to go to that country. I know Japan is a very pedestrian friendly country. They have really strict laws to help people with disabilities.
* Kate I think they're pretty important, cause you could have vegetarians or handicapped people wanting to go and they'd need to know these things.
* JJ-I think they should let you know what is available,especially the pharmasist, they can help with things that ail you that don't require a doctor
* KN-Location of free clinics, hospitals and they ways they work would be irreplacable
* A.J. Oh yeah, Health care - that's really important. I actually got very sick at Malaysia and the plan at that school was to have me call my renter who would bring me to the clinic if I had to go. But ah, once I was so sick, like seriously ill. I should have gone to the emergency room and I called my renter and he thought I was exaggerating or something, an he hung up and there I was, like I didn't know what to do. Yeah it was pretty bad. You know, the university didn't give me any contact info for health care facilities at all. So that's definitely something a student should be aware of before they go. Um, how to get health care if they need it. Payment requirements, um it might depend on the university. The university the student goes to might have them buy temporary medical insurance through the university or they might be able to sign up for a temporary national health care service thing. I know they have something like that in Denmark. They'll never turn you away. At BSU they have the student actually buy basic health insurance for international students before they go.
* Kate I'd say quite interested, cause you never know what'll happen.
* JJ-Google
* KN-Google, Yahoo
* JJ-I want the kind of information that is little known to tourists. The good local spots.
* KN-I haven't before
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